


The Great Divide - Chapter 16 - So Cold

by Antigravity_Carnivore



Series: The Great Divide [16]
Category: Breaking Benjamin (Band), STARSET (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Computers, Corporate Espionage, Evil Corporations, F.E.C, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Future, Future Fic, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Heavy Angst, Inspired by Music, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Multi, Music, Musicians, Technology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 22:10:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12691182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore
Summary: Still trapped deep within the F.E.C. facility, the boys learn that certain decisions must be made to ensure their survival, however, time is running out and each second that slips away only brings them closer to fulfilling the wicked Burnley's plans. Will they be able to set aside their differences and work together, or will their strong personalities win out over one another and let evil flourish over Prox?Part 1 of a 2 part ending





	The Great Divide - Chapter 16 - So Cold

“Are we really going to argue about this?” Brock said, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. He let out a huff and started pacing the room. I could tell that he was at the end of his rope and completely frustrated with Thomas at this point, and I didn’t blame him at all. What started off as a simple rescue mission to find Benjamin had turned into a complete mess, with a series of unexpected events that we never could have imagined possible. Fate has a way of twisting the plot and turning the pages of our lives faster than we can read them, and in this case, it felt as though we were nearing the end of the story. We were all emotionally and physically drained, and tensions between the three of us were at the breaking point. Still recovering from my ordeal with Burnley, I felt a little light headed and went to sit down on the bed next to Lizzie, who was already lacing up her boots and preparing to move out. I was a bit envious of her new found energy. It seemed as though she was getting stronger and more assertive, and I was getting weaker.

My eyes fell upon the wedding ring on her finger; I couldn’t help looking at it. It was wrong of Thomas to give it to her; the ring did not belong to him. I had foolishly cast it aside when I was with Brock, so certain of the life that I had committed to that I never thought of the consequences of my actions in just tossing it away like it was trash. That ring was special to Benjamin, he had made a promise over that little trinket to his wife of love and devotion, and then given it to me for safe keeping, but I had failed him. It was all he had left of another life. I allowed a brief moment of indecision get the better of me, and now I was paying for it. The visor that Brock and Thomas had used on Benjamin had erased all his memories of me; of our entire time together, and I knew that the absence of that ring would only make matters worse. If he had discovered Lizzie wearing his ring, there would be questions, questions that couldn’t be answered.

“I am not arguing with you. I just don’t think that he should go.” Thomas said, pointing an accusing finger at me. “Look at him, Burnley seriously fucked him up; he’s been cut, beaten, and raped. Fucking RAPED, Brock, can you imagine the shit he must be going through? We need to give the poor guy a break here. He can barely stand at this point and you’re thinking of taking him with you instead of me? That’s ridiculous.” Thomas didn’t even bother looking at me or acknowledging that I was right there in the room with him, it was almost as if I didn’t exist to him. I knew it was because of the outcome of our argument a few moments earlier, the evidence was there in the form of a swollen lip, a cut on the side of his cheek and a bruised ego.

I held my breath for a moment and glanced over at Brock, trying my best to distance myself from as much of the argument as possible. Thomas did have a point, I was far from being able to defend myself, much less be of help to anyone else, and I was more of a liability than anything. Brock knew this too however, he wanted to have me at his side regardless of safety. There was an unspoken, proven trust between the two of us, and since we knew that we were possibly walking into a trap, this could be a pivotal point in escaping. “You NEED to go with Lizzie, Thomas.” Brock answered, in a surprisingly calm voice. “She needs to have someone with her who can protect and watch over her while recovering the vehicle, we don’t know if there are any more of those carnivores out there, or even where Burnley is. When we get Benjamin back, we will need to get out of here, as fast as we can, and having transportation is key to a quick escape. Plus, you are the only one who seems to be able to calm her if she has another one of her episodes.” I sat back, surprised by Brock’s ability to hold back his emotions. Thomas had just thrown the equivalent of a verbal slap in the face at him with the rape comment, and Brock didn’t even let it faze him, or perhaps it did and he was hiding the hurt deep inside. I couldn’t be sure, Brock, like the rest of us seemed to have changed a lot since our arrival on Prox.

“Is that all you’re worried about? Getting the vehicle? I don’t think you’re being quite honest with the group. Could it be that you’re hiding something? It seems to me that you are very anxious to go find Benjamin now, when before you couldn’t care less if he lived or died. Maybe it’s because he is no longer a threat to you? Could it be that you want to go out there and play hero to get him back, and make yourself a martyr in the process? It’s pretty blatantly obvious where your loyalties lie.” Thomas narrowed his eyes and waited for a moment; it was certain that he was trying to get some sort of reaction out of Brock, and it wasn’t quite working. I sat on the bed and kept my eyes on him, wishing that I knew what was going on in his head. “No.” Thomas continued. “That’s not it at all, the real reason you want to run right out there and bring him back is because you feel bad because of how Dustin reacted to Ben’s memories being erased. You want him so bad you would be willing to run out there and save Ben’s life, restore his memories all so that you can impress Dustin and sway his affections to your favor. You’ve got nothing left Brock. This is your last ditch effort. Don’t even bother denying it, we all know it’s true. So if you want, you can take the totally useless Dustin out there with you, play the part of noble knight and fix what you’ve broken. I don’t care.”

Brock snapped his head up and shot Thomas a look that I had never seen before. His face was full of anger and hatred; I thought for sure he would rip right into him at any moment. “That I broke? What the hell Thomas, you’re the one that deleted his memories and messed around with his head. Don’t go blaming me for something that you did. This is all on you.”

Thomas stepped forward, right in front of Brock, taking a aggressive stance in front of him. We were past peaceful confrontation time now. I wanted to say something, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but there was something in my head that prevented me from acting, it stitched my lips shut and pinned me down to the bed, whispering to me that my words would be useless here, my actions inadequate. What was about to happen, needed to happen. “It’s funny you say that, because all I did was put bullets in the gun, Brock, you were the one who actually pulled the trigger. Burnley’s not the one out for Benjamin’s blood. You are.”

“You son of a bitch!” Brock shouted and grabbed for Thomas, but before he could reach him, Lizzie jumped up from the bed from where she was sitting next to me and got between the two men.

“Stop this!” She pleaded. “This isn’t necessary. Thomas, I want you to go with me. Please? Let Dustin go with him, Benjamin is their friend, they need to do this together.” She clutched at his shirt sleeve as a small child would do to a parent and looked at him with pleading eyes. Both men stood motionless, each of them refusing to back down from the situation, a few moments passed and then without warning, all the color faded from Lizzie’s face and she faltered, the pain from her wound getting the best of her, and Thomas reached out, gently catching her by the shoulders and steadying her. He glanced up at Brock for a moment, in a half accusing glance of irritation, and helped Lizzie regain her composure. Brock turned away and started to fuss with his communication device, a guilty look on his face from knowing that he was the one who just instigated a near physical fight. The tension in the room was thick and heavy; no one knew the appropriate words for the situation. I looked around the room silently wondering now if the things that had happened between all of us were beyond repair. Thomas had come a long way from being in Benjamin’s shadow as leader of the Messengers, forced into a position that he was not suited for, his temper and knack for making rash decisions proving to be troublesome and hard to deal with. Lizzie’s return had not helped things either, but instead turned him overprotective and possessive. I couldn’t help but to worry about their future. Selene had hinted around that the fate of Prox would be dependent on the two of them being together, and at first I thought that she was just being overly dramatic, however, I couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps she had information that she was keeping to herself. Could she see things that we couldn’t? A fleeting memory came into my head from long ago, of a trip to California and a female hitchhiker we had given a ride to. Part of me wished that she was here now, Thomas seemed to act different, perhaps a little more cautious with his actions when she was present. I could only hope that wherever Selene was, she was safe for the moment.

Reaching out, Thomas grabbed a pack of medical supplies and threw them over his shoulder, taking Lizzie by the hand and started leading her to the door. He hesitated near the next and called out over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn around and look back at us. “I’ll notify you when we reach the transport vehicle for rendezvous.” He waited for a moment, expecting Brock to acknowledge that he was stepping down and letting him win the fight, but Brock showed no signs of apology or acceptance. Thomas was beginning to learn about choosing which battles to fight, which ones were the important ones, and which ones he should step away from. This decision for him to go follow Brock’s suggestion proved that he was growing as a person, and taking control of his life. Brock, on the other hand was starting to fall apart. The knowledge that he had been forced to violence hurt him deeply and I knew that he was tearing himself apart inside. I wanted to stop Thomas at the door; I wanted to say something to prevent him from leaving like this; I just had a sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen, but I chose to remain silent and let him go. I looked up at the last moment and saw Lizzie make eye contact with me. She looked terrified.

I sat completely still for a few moments, after the door went closed, and Lizzie and Thomas departed, trying to prepare myself for what was possibly to come. Part of me wished that I had taken Lizzie and let them go find Ben. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I was incredibly sore and tired, beaten down and drained. Burnley had done something to me that I couldn’t seem to get over even with the thought of Ben being in danger, I just couldn’t manage to find the strength to will myself to get on my feet and keep moving. Brock and Thomas were at odds, moments away from fighting right in front of me, and I did nothing to stop it. It felt like something had poisoned my blood and was slowly eating away at every bit of strength I had left. I didn’t know what was going to happen once we found Ben, would I even be able to stand in front of him and see the man that I loved so much, knowing that he now did not love me back? I shuddered at the thought of looking into those beautiful gray green eyes and having the guilt inside of me that Burnley placed there reflected back. He was right, when I looked at the father, I would see nothing but the terrible face of his son there. I glanced over to Brock, who was waiting patiently. “Brock?” I asked quietly, trying to catch his attention. He was still adjusting the communication device on his wrist and looked over at me, his boyishly handsome face illuminated by the flickering fluorescent lights.

“Yes, Dustin?”

“You are going to have to do this alone, I can’t go with you.” I said. My voice was unusually flat and monotone. Lowering my head, I clasped my hands together and tried my best to keep them from shaking.

He looked down at me, eyes full of confusion; his body ridged and motionless. The tips of his fingers turned white, from clutching the communicator tightly. “What did you say?” he asked.

“I…I… can’t quite explain my reasons why, but I can’t go with you find Ben.” I kept my eyes down on the floor. I didn’t want to see the look of disappointment on his face. He had fought with Thomas to have me go in his place, and now here I was refusing to accept the small victory he had won in this massive ongoing war. It was a huge disappointment to him. “I’ll stay here, and when Thomas calls with his location, I will go join him and Lizzie, you bring Ben and Selene back safe and we can all get out of here together okay?”

Dropping his bag down on the floor, he shouted angrily at me. “No that’s not OKAY Dustin! None of what you just said is ‘okay’! An hour ago you were all for rushing in and getting Ben back, no matter the cost, and now when it comes time to put up, you are backing down? I don’t get it.” He took a moment to calm himself and let out a sigh. “I know for a fact that you aren’t backing out because it’s dangerous, because you’re not a coward, and I know damn well it’s not because of your injuries, you’d fight until your dying breath to save someone that you love, especially Ben. So please humor me and explain exactly why you are still sitting on that bed, and not making an effort to go get what you want.”

I knew that I had to be very careful with my answers; I couldn’t bear to tell Brock the truth and admit that I was feeling immense guilt for what happened in that room. The lustful feeling of intense desire that ran through my body as Burnley took control and forced himself on me was still too fresh in my mind. I knew that I would not be able to face Ben until I was able to repress or find a way to hide these emotions. I was afraid of having a break down in front of Ben, even though he didn’t remember me, I didn’t want him to see me like that for the first time. As much as I wanted to run into his arms, I also wanted to hide away in shame. It was a agonizing situation. The moment Thomas said that Ben’s life was in danger, I should have snapped into action, but instead, I retreated into myself. Fucking Burnley—he ruined everything for me. He said he could destroy me, and I refused to believe him, until now. There was no way that I could look into the eyes of the man I loved, and not see anything there but my own guilt. I struggled for words. “It’s hard to explain. It is something I have to deal with on my own. I am not ready for this yet. I need just a little more time, and I need you to understand, Brock.”

Brock shook his head and came over to stand in front of me. “Time is something we don’t have here.” He knelt down and rested a hand on the top of my leg. His touch was always so comforting. “Dustin, I know Burnley put you through hell, and it’s difficult to deal with, but you need to be aware that Ben’s life can possibly be in danger right now. Ben AND Selene. Selene saved your life, you owe her! You have to find a way to get up and do this, they could die because you’re sitting here being selfish.” Brock hesitated for a moment. He had asked me to make a decision between him and Ben only an hour earlier and I never responded, and now I felt as though my silence and reluctance to answer was pushing him toward going out to find Ben. That’s the kind of person that Brock was, always putting others before himself. Thomas was right, in a way; Brock needed Ben to be alive and safe. Not just because he felt bad for forcing the visor on him, but because he knew that I loved Ben and I could never allow myself to ever be happy again if something happened to him which I could have prevented. The minutes ticked by as he held onto my hands, patiently waiting for me to get off that bed, but I still refused to move. I couldn’t tell him, I just couldn’t. I wanted to get up, but the weight Burnley placed inside my soul was too much for me to bear, and it held me down, anchoring me in place. Instead of answering him, or responding in any way, I just lowered my head, looking down at the floor. He sighed and I felt a change in him. His entire body tensed up and he took hold of my hands, so firmly that I thought he was going to crush the bones. I lifted my head up slightly and waited for him to continue, I knew he had something important to tell me. “Alright then, tell me what you want me to do.” He said.

“I don’t understand what you are asking.” I replied.

Brock gripped my hands even harder. “You know I would do anything for you, Dustin, because I love you, and I know how much Ben means to you. There was a time that I thought I would be able to just give up and walk away; leave you to a happier life, but the thought of being without you was shattering my heart, and I knew it would be a mistake if I turned away from you like that. I am willing to put myself in danger to bring him back to you if that is what you want. You sit here, shaking worse that I’ve ever seen before, and all because you have to see him again. Why? This isn’t healthy. Either you’re scared, or there is something that you’re not telling me. I wish that you’d open up and share your feelings with me, so I can understand and help you. Leaving me in the dark here makes me feel totally helpless. I wish you’d see that I only want you to be happy, even if it means that I can’t be happy.” Brock started to stroke his fingers over the top of my hands, his skin was so warm, his touch so light. “All that aside, if you want me to go out there alone and bring him back to you, I will. I am not afraid of the FEC, the Carnivores or Burnley. This is what we came here to do and if I must, then I will do it. I know the access codes for the doors, I can slip through unnoticed. I was alone when I was working for the FEC, I don’t need anyone’s help. I did it before and I can do it again.” The tone in his voice changed, became more ominous sounding. “But you should know that there is an alternative.”

“There is?” I asked, trying to find the answer in his eyes. I didn’t like the thought of sending him out there by himself at all. There were too many risks involved, the greatest of which was Burnley.

He took a long, deep breath and held it in his lungs for moments before speaking again. “You have to be willing to leave the past behind you, walk away and never look back. Ben’s memories are already gone; he’s the same person as before, just no recollection of you. It’s like you never existed to him, and there is no evidence that he ever will remember you now. All the visors have been destroyed, which were the only things that could help.” Brock’s voice lowered and as I finally looked up at him, I thought I saw a shadow pass over his eyes. “No one will know but the two of us. He is already dying, Selene’s message told us that much. So, we let things happen. We can all leave here together, you and I with Thomas and Lizzie; they will eventually accept the fact that we were too late to save Ben, no one will ever know that we never went after him. We tell them that Selene ran off to another FEC lab to look for her research, so her absence wouldn’t be questioned. All we have to do is sit here and wait for Thomas’s signal.” Brock stood up and sat on the bed next to me, wrapping one of his arms around my back and pulling me against him, I could hear his heart beating in his chest. “I will sit here with you; you can close your eyes and rest. I know how tired you are. I won’t let anything happen to you, Dustin. I can give you all the time in the world to heal, let the wounds on your body and in your heart close. All the pain will go away, I promise. I’ve asked you to choose between me and Ben before, and you never answered me, because you couldn’t. This time I am asking you something even more important, and the decision ultimately has to be yours. All you have to do is tell –me- what to do. Do you want me to go out there and rescue him alone, and bring him back with us to the Shallow Bay, or will you walk out that door with me and leave him to his fate?”

“Burnley will kill him.” I mumbled into the soft fabric of Brock’s shirt. I could recall the look in Burnley’s eyes as he explained to me just how much he hated his father, and that the entire reason he had embarked on this path of destruction was to get revenge on Ben. A thought crossed my mind… what if he got what he wanted?

“Dustin, it’s a life for a life. He forfeits his and you can move on, be free of all the pain, the guilt or whatever is tying you down here. Look at yourself, you are paralyzed with fear, a shell of your former self. You’ve been through so much. You’ve lost him once before and look what happened to you, you let it completely destroy you, don’t let that happen again, for once in your life, stand up for yourself. All you have to do is take my hand and let me lead you out of here. You know that I would never suggest a thing like this, ever… but I am so tired of standing on the sidelines and watching you waste away. I want you to see that you have this opportunity to take back what Burnley has taken from you. Or you can forfeit YOUR life, or what’s left of it, and Ben comes back, not the same person that you knew once before; a stranger and nothing more. You’ll spend the rest of your life feeling miserable and broken because of Burnley’s torture, trembling and trapped whenever his father is present. It’s not a physical death, but you’d be dead inside, hardly feeling anything but sorrow and desolation every time you see him. Are you willing to throw your life away for a ‘what if’? This isn’t earth…it’s Prox, and pride will devour you here, if you let it.”

I felt my heart breaking. Brock had basically placed Ben’s life in my hands, and I was trying desperately to wrap my head around it. I had never known Brock to suggest hurting anyone before, he was such a gentle and kind soul, but now here he was, implying that if I just let Ben die, things could be so much better. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Benjamin, but Brock was right. The person that you love should bring you joy and happiness when you see him, not making you feel guilty and shame. My inability to go out there and rescue Ben was all the proof I needed of this, however, deep inside I still loved him. I missed him so much. I didn’t want to let him go, he was just as much a part of my life as Brock was. They both meant so much to me. Ben was the man who believed in me when no one else would; he told me that my words, my music would change the world one day. He made me love him. Then then there was Brock, who stood by me when my world fell apart. His musical talent could bring my words to life, and he was always there with me every night when we went on stage, backing me up, reassuring me that anything is possible. He never asked for anything in return, except to allow him to love me. Brock was the most pure and innocent soul that I had ever met. Being here on Prox had changed all of us in some way, and I never thought that he would suggest leaving a man behind like this. Brock had been pushed to the point of desperation, I had allowed myself to be broken, and Benjamin had fallen in love with another person, nothing would ever be the same again for any of us. I knew that when that door to the infirmary opened, it would signal the end of something…. The death of a pure soul, or the death of a man, which would it be? The choice was mine to make.

I straightened up my back and reached up, placing my hand alongside of Brock’s cheek, and gently turning his face to mine. I gazed deeply into his eyes for a moment, and then brought my lips to his; we did not kiss, but instead enjoyed a moment of our lips lightly touching each other. Unspoken words, confessions, apologies waiting to be released and spoken out loud, but instead shoved back, deep inside and tucked away. I wanted desperately to push his small frame back onto the bed and make love to him, to help me forget everything that has happened and which will happen. Being with him like that always cleared my head and took away all the stress. This would be the last chance I had to make a decision, I had to make the right one; I missed so many opportunities before, and finally redemption was at hand, just out of the reach of my fingertips. I could feel his body tense up, and I saw his eyes flutter and go closed, I knew he was thinking the same thing, he wanted the same thing. My hands stopped shaking and I reached up to run my fingers through his hair. The sickness that I was feeling of the side effects of the Eden drug that Burnley had pumped me with was completely gone now, being siphoned out of my system and replaced with such a pure, untainted affection that was completely overwhelming. Brock brought a hand up and stretched his fingers out across my chest. I knew he wanted to push me away, make me give him the answer to the question he had asked before anything else could happen between us. This was the way most of our relationship went. I couldn’t bring myself to speak the words; I did not want to hear the sound of the heart of someone I loved shattering when I said them. The choice had been made. Taking a breath, I grabbed a handful of the front of his shirt and pulled him back closer to me. The hand he had placed on my chest dropped down to rest on my hip now as he surrendered himself to me. With his lips still resting on mine, I spoke the words, giving him the answer to his question and then sank into the deepest, most passionate kiss that I had ever experienced in my entire lifetime.

Thomas led Lizzie down the maze of corridors, following the coordinates that Selene had given him to the exit where her vehicle was located, holding on tightly to her hand. His eyes darted right and left, waiting for any threat of danger, his reflexes ready and waiting to protect her at a moment’s notice. He didn’t like the idea of being left out of Benjamin’s rescue, but concern for Lizzie seemed to outweigh the need to rush into what could possibly be a trap. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it might very well be a suicide mission. Dustin confessed that Burnley was good at manipulating people and baiting them, and this was the perfect opportunity for him to do so. As they moved further and further away from the central area of the facility together, Lizzie started to shiver and Thomas could feel her small hand trembling in his. “Thomas, do you think that Brock and Dustin are going to be okay?” she asked, almost reading his mind. “I am worried about them, Dustin especially. He didn’t look so well.”

“Brock’s a clever kid; he’s got more tricks up his sleeve than anyone else that I know of. If anyone can find a way to rescue Ben and get out of here, it’s him. He knows a lot about computers and technical stuff like that.” Thomas kept Lizzie moving while he was talking; he wanted to get to the vehicle as soon as possible so she could be safe.

“Yes, you’re right, he was always working on stuff when I knew him at the F.E.C., I think he spent more time at his computer terminal that in his bed.” Lizzie chuckled.

Thomas slowed his pace down a bit and looked at her. “Brock was just a communication officer while he was there, right?” he asked.

Shaking her head, Lizzie tried to stop herself from shaking, wishing she had brought a jacket. “No. He was more than an officer; he was in charge of the entire communication division, monitoring incoming and outgoing transmissions. Strange thing is that one day he just appeared out of nowhere and took over the position. We were worried that he would just be another one of the twisted F.E.C. officers, but thankfully he was benevolent and ended up helping a lot of people escape from there, myself included.”

“And he wasn’t there previously?”

“No. At least not that I am aware of. The F.E.C. has many different divisions, Thomas. He could have easily just transferred from another facility. As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, when he arrived, he requested a private meeting with the head of the F.E.C.; there were rumors going around that Brock had top secret information about some book they wanted, and in exchange for a position in the Corporation, he would tell him how to acquire it. Good thing that he did, because he saved so many lives. Funny thing actually, a book being a big bargaining tool with the F.E.C.? There must have been some very valuable information in there…well if the rumors are true.”

“No, not strange, interesting actually.” Thomas stopped for a moment, noticing her shoulders hunched slightly over and a blueish tint to her lips. “Lizzie, are you okay?”

“No.” She whispered, stepping closer to him. “Something’s wrong here, can’t you feel it? It’s freezing in here, unnaturally cold and it’s becoming harder to breathe the further we get to the exit. Are you certain that this is the way outside?”

Pausing to look at his comm device, Thomas nodded and glanced up and surveyed the area. Everything was right where it was supposed to be; they were walking in the right direction, but the sudden change in temperature was cause for alarm. The life support functions of the base were all fully automatic, and able to self-sustain for years, even if left unattended. They were completely fail-safe and proven dependable. Unless they had been tampered with by someone. “Fucking Burnley.” He mumbled, and gripping Lizzie’s hand tight, he gave it a gentle tug and started to walk again. “Come on, we have to move faster, we might not have much time left here. I think Burnley did something to the life support.” As they moved further, suddenly the lights went out, leaving them in complete darkness.

“Thomas!” Lizzie cried and wrapped herself around his side.

Thomas pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and clicked it on, filling the corridor with a bright, incandescent light. “It’s alright, I’ve got you. Hold onto me, the exit shouldn’t be too much further. We can get out of here and send a message to the others. It will be over soon.” Thomas reassured her. Moving forward, he flashed the light ahead of them, the beam caught on something that sparkled a brilliant silver color lying on the floor. Lizzie immediately left her safety at Thomas’s side, much to his surprise and walked toward it, bending down painfully she picked it up and turned around. “What is it?” he asked. Lizzie held it up to the light. The small jewels attached to the silver crescent moon hairpin sparkled brightly as they spun and twirled. Thomas’s eyes widened. “That belongs to Selene.” He whispered.

Lizzie stood up slowly and brought the trinket over to him. He held out his hand and she gingerly placed it in his palm and let out a small cry. Her fingers came away bloody. “Oh my god…Thomas!” she said. “She was supposed to be with Benjamin, what happened to her?”

 

Moving his flashlight around frantically, Thomas let the light fall down to the floor ahead of them and saw a distinct trail of blood leading further down the corridor and branching off. He started to shiver, the temperature was quickly dropping. Bringing up the map on his wrist device, he gave Lizzie a frantic look. “The blood trail goes off that way, in the opposite direction of the way out.”

“If she was injured, why would she go further into the base instead of towards the exit and her vehicle?” Lizzie asked quizzically. “I don’t understand it.”

“I think that Burnley got to her before us, and now he’s setting up a trap for the others. Come on, we have to go.” Thomas said, stepping ahead of her.

“Wait!” Lizzie shouted. “You’re not just going to leave her are you? Thomas we can’t do that, she’s your mother!” Her eyes were starting to fill with tears and her body was shivering uncontrollably from the dropping temperatures. “We just can’t leave her behind like this.”

Thomas slowly turned around, and stepped towards her. He placed a hand on both of her cheeks and tilted her head slightly up to look at him, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. “Listen to me, we’re not going to leave anyone behind, not this time. I promise love. I’ve made far too many mistakes in the past.” Thomas’s face softened, as he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. He had never felt emotions as strong and pure as he did when he was around Lizzie, and for so long he had been blinded to her love and affections, now here she was, standing in front of him; she came to him in pieces and made him whole. She was the one made his heart beat again, and brought him a new life. It was at that moment, he knew he would do anything she asked. Taking his hands away from her face, he took a breath and smiled at her. “I need you with me, at my side, I can’t do this alone. You have to keep it together and be strong, not just for me, but for Selene, Brock, Benjamin and Dustin. They are all counting on us to get them out of here. Everyone wants to go home, back to the Shallow Bay, where we can all be together again, and you and I are going to get them there.”

“I love you Thomas.” Lizzie said, leaning forward she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

As she pulled away, he took hold of her hand and whispered to her. “From this point on, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I love you too, and nothing will change that, because I love you too. Now let’s go find Selene before we freeze to death.”

Thomas and Lizzie came to stop in front of the room where the trail of drying blood had led them too. The control panel which operated the lock on the door had been ripped off, leaving a series of flashing wires tossing sparks out into the hallway. The double doors themselves were left open, only a few inches, and nothing but darkness could be seen from inside. Thomas motioned for Lizzie to move back, and heeding his warning, she quickly darted to the opposite side of the hall, out of harms way.

Gripping each side of the heavy solid metal, Thomas used all of his strength and pulled the doors open and stood at the entrance of the dark room. Lizzie stepped forward, but he held his hand out, and turned around, giving her a warning glance. She stopped in her tracks and retreated back a few paces. Leaving her behind him, Thomas stepped into the room as the darkness enveloped him, the air was thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. Immediately, he flipped the flashlight onto the highest setting, bringing a small bit of illumination to the otherwise inky blackness of the room. In the beam of light, he could see that there were bits of dirt and some large fragments of debris floating in the air. Reaching up, he caught one of the larger pieces in his hand and rubbed it between his fingers, they came away stained black. It was ash. He realized that the acrid thickness of the air was the remnants of a fire somewhere nearby, for some odd reason all the ashes and airborne bits had collected in this room, giving it a ghastly, almost pungent scent. Placing the sleeve of his jacket over his mouth and nose, he walked further into the room. Holding his light up, he continued to walk around the large room and without warning, felt the tip of his foot touch something. Bending down to examine it closer, he could see that it was layers of thick smoldering fabric that lay in a pile, smoking slightly and still warm from being recently torched. The smell of chemicals and sulfur assaulted his nostrils and made him cringe. Someone had clearly wanted to destroy something, leaving absolutely no traces of it behind. Gingerly he lifted the tattered remnants, then his eyes widened and he dropped all the way down to his knees, and he felt the air leaving his lungs. Thomas’s hands began to tremble and for a moment all he could do was stare at the wisps of smoke still rising from the charred ashes. He was looking at the seared and burnt flesh of a woman’s arm. “Oh god, no!” he whispered and began to frantically pull away more of the still warm fabric and he heard Lizzie step into the room from the hall beyond. “Stay back, don’t come in here!” he shouted as his hands worked faster and faster, determined to identify this poor soul. Deep inside, he knew who it was, trying to deny the truth, but as he took away layer after layer, he kept wishing that he was wrong.

“Thomas, what did you find?” Lizzie asked with a small voice calling from outside in the hall. She struggled to see into the dark room, but all she could see was Thomas’s frame illuminated by the dim flashlight, kneeling down over something. A terrible lump of despair started to form in the pit of her stomach. There was something unusual about the tone in Thomas's voice, it sounded distressed and incredibly agitated, she wanted to be at his side. “I am coming in there.” She said, dropping the medical bag she was carrying down onto the floor.

“Just stay out there!” Thomas snapped at her. Continuing to pull away layer after layer of the material of her thick black burnt coat, he found Selene’s body. “No. Please no…” he whispered and carefully lifted her into his arms. There was no response from her at all, she was limp and lifeless as a rag doll. The smell of charred flesh and hair was overwhelming and almost unbearable as he gently peeled away the hood that partially hid her face, exposing her once smooth and perfect white skin, now covered in angry red welts of burns that went deep through several layers of skin. There was severe bruising both of her eyes, and her lips and chin were covered in vast amounts of dried blood, evidence that she had taken a beating. Her arms and hands had the worst burns to them, it was apparent that in a desperate attempt, she tried to shield herself as the fire spread up her body, bubbling the skin and blistering it with an intense heat that was accelerated with some sort of noxious chemical. Reaching down, Thomas gently tried to push what was left of the long dark curls of hair away from her face, but the singed tresses only disintegrated and broke apart as he touched them. He was too late to rescue her.

Holding her tightly in his arms, he looked around to where he had put his flashlight down and saw that the floor around her was covered in burnt bits of paper and large sections of scorched notebooks. Picking up a piece of paper near him, he glanced at it and could see it that it had research notes scrawled on it which contained information about the visors that Selene had created. This was her entire life’s work, all spread out in a burnt pile around her. Everything that she had worked so hard to attain, the very thing that she had confessed to Thomas and Brock that was the reason why she was there at the facility, it was all here, scattered and torched along with her body. Overcome with emotion, Thomas crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it across the floor, clutching his mother’s body tight to his chest. “This isn’t right. God damn you Burnley. How could you be so sick as to do something like this? She wasn’t a threat to you!” He cried out into the empty room. Sobbing against the foul smelling coat that covered her body, Thomas let go of his emotions and let out a cry of rage that echoed loudly. He had lost Benjamin, he lost the friendship he had with Brock, he lost the Messengers and now he lost his mother. Thomas’s world was falling apart, crashing down around him. What was left for him?

Almost as if to answer his silent question, Lizzie quietly slipped into the room and knelt down beside Thomas, gently placing her hand on his arm. He didn’t seem to even notice that she was there at all; he was so absorbed in his own grief. She could see that he was crying, and was taken back. She had never known him to cry at all. From the first moment she met Thomas in the harsh desert of Prox, she saw the strong and courageous soul inside of him, not the shallow and greedy facade that others perceived. He had saved her, and so many others after her, wanting nothing more than freedom and peace for everyone, but yet his own actions had led him down a dark path, which she could not go. Now here he was, sitting next to her, all his pride ripped away and his raw emotion exposed and she could see that there still was a pure soul inside, remnants of the man she once knew, struggling through the waves of his own sorrow.

Thomas spoke in a hushed tone. “Burnley did this. He had her research the entire time, and he gave it to her and then burned it, burned her alive. The one thing that she wanted most, the entire reason she was here… he had it all along. He was just playing games with her, leading her on with a cat and mouse game for fun.” He held the body of his mother tightly and wept.

“No Thomas, you’re wrong. I don’ think she just came here to recover her research. It was more than that. Selene was smart; she wouldn’t run blindly into the FEC without a good reason. I think that she somehow knew that you were going to be here, and you were more important to her than any notebooks or journals. She wanted to see YOU.” Lizzie said in a sympathetic, comforting tone. “That’s why she stayed around here and didn’t leave; she was waiting to see that we all make it out safely. A mother can be fiercely protective of her children when they are in danger.”

Thomas shifted slightly, in the charred ashes of the papers and wiped away his tears. “I’ve messed things up so badly, Lizzie. Everything I’ve done in my life has been wrong. It’s fucking ironic that finally I make one good decision in my life, and I was too late to save her. I want to save people…I wanted to be this great leader of the rebellion against the FEC and I was so bad at it. Ben was the one who built the whole damn thing up, I was nothing but his shadow the entire time. I don’t have half the courage or will that he does. I led those people right into their deaths, and I will never be able to make up for that. Brock has been trying to be so kind to me, and all I’ve done is argue and go against him. He’s the only person who stood up for me after what I had done to the messengers, and I’ve done nothing but throw dirt in his face…. And Dustin…” Hesitating for a moment, Thomas closed his eyes and retreated into himself for a moment, ignoring the smells of burnt paper and flesh all around him. He had opened the gate to the pure emotions that he had kept locked away for so long, and now he knew that it would never be able to be closed again. “Dustin needs to be with Benjamin, they belong together.” Slowly he opened his eyes and looked to Lizzie, who was smiling at him.

“I think you’re finally realizing that you are your own person, Thomas.” She reached out and pushed the hair away from his face, the same dark curls as his mother. “There is so much life left worth living, if you just reach out and take it. Put the past behind you and stand up for what you believe in. That’s all Selene wanted for you, from the very beginning, she wanted you to be free and live the life that you deserve, that’s why she opened your eyes to the terrible things the FEC was doing. Not because she wanted you to be this great leader, or hope for the future, but because she couldn’t bear the thought of you living your life in captivity. Sure, you made some mistakes along the way, but that’s how life works, you have to live and learn from them. Only when things are at the very worst, can you see the very best.” Taking hold of his hand, Lizzie entwined her fingers in his, the bright metal of the wedding ring on her finger flashing brilliantly in the dim light. “Let this strengthen you, give you the courage to move on and set things right, starting off with getting everyone out of here safely.” Bringing his hand to her lips, she gently kissed it, the tone in her voice sweet and pure. “We can go back to the Shallow Bay and be as we should be. A family.”

“A family?” he asked, his voice filled with curiosity and question. Living most of his life under FEC rule, this idea was new to him, and a bit frightening. He turned his gaze from Selene to Lizzie; whose eyes were shining and beaming with hope. He envied how good she was. Still, there was something in her voice that scared him, almost as if she was too confident. She saw light in the darkest of nights, saw good in the most wicked people. The thought that someone like her would be able to fully love and want to be with someone like him made his spirit soar, but there was always the lingering thought in the back of his mind, that the FEC was using her, just like they used him, and one day she would betray him. The fits of rampancy that she was experiencing after her Carnivore ordeal had all but subsided in a short period of time and he was worried that it might happen again at any moment. Banishing the thought out of his mind, Thomas smiled back at her. He had to start trusting people. It had to begin somewhere. “I think I’d like that.” He said. “A family.” Leaning in to kiss Lizzie, Thomas suddenly backed away, startled with wide eyes.

“What? What is it?” Lizzie asked.

Gently placing Selene back down onto the floor, Thomas grabbed the flashlight and held it over her, using his fingertips to pry her eyelids open. Selene’s pupils reacted to the light. “She’s still alive!” he shouted. “Oh my god, she’s still with us!” Grabbing her wrist, he felt for a pulse. Somewhere deep below the surface, he could feel the faint, but steady beat of her heart pumping the blood through her veins. “Lizzie, grab the medical kit!” he yelled as he tried to loosen the burnt robes from around her chest. Lizzie sprang into action, heading back out into the hallway and snatching the bag from the floor where she had left it. As she turned to go back into the room, she saw something at the end of the corridor. She stood motionless, unsure what to do. Her first reaction was to call out to Thomas, but instead, she stared with wide eyes and remained silent. Clutching at the bag, her knuckles turned white and her heart beat in her throat as she tried to think what to do. Then suddenly, Thomas called to her again with a frantic voice and she turned her head away for a moment, looking towards him in the near pitch black room. He was motioning frantically and waving her over. Lizzie started to say something and then as she turned around again, there was nothing there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slipped the strap of the bag over her head and went back into the room.

Upon reaching his side, Lizzie quickly unbuckled the straps of the medical bag and dumped the contents out for Thomas, who had already removed the restrictive material from Selene’s neck and chest and tossed it aside. Her breathing had already improved and her eyes were fluttering; she was starting to come around. “Selene, Selene… can you hear me? It’s going to be alright. We’re going to take care of you, just relax okay?” Thomas said, trying his best to comfort her. She nodded slightly, responding to the sound of her son’s voice and finally managed to get her eyes open.

“Thomas?” she asked, in a weak voice.

“Yes, it’s me. Lizzie is here too.” Thomas answered, gesturing for Lizzie to hand him the syringe and vial of pain killers. “Don’t try to move yet, you’re hurt pretty bad.”

Selene closed her eyes for a moment, trying to swallow but her throat was parched and dry from the burns. Lizzie moved around and propped her head up in her lap and offered her a sip of water. The cool, cold liquid quickly flowed down her throat, distracting her for a moment as Thomas injected her with the drugs to make her more comfortable. “Where—are…”

“We are still in the FEC base.” Thomas said, grabbing the medicated gauze and trying his best to cover the most serious wounds with it. “We’re going to get you out of here and back to the Shallow Bay where you can get medical attention.”

Selene looked away for a moment, her eyes focusing on the shredded and burnt bits of paper lying on the floor, some still smoldering, glowing red with embers and made a feeble attempt at picking them up. As her fingertips touched them, the crumbled into dust and scattered through the thick air. Her eyes welled up with tears and her hands shook, a purplish tint started to creep over her lips. So many years ago she was forced to watch her home go up in smoke, set ablaze by the FEC for not cooperating with them, and then her husband ruthlessly murdered in front of her. His dying wish was that she not let them take the research away. The pain in her body was nothing compared to what she felt in her heart as Burnley threw the notebooks and papers at her, one at a time as she lay on the ground, in a half conscious state after the trauma he had inflicted on her. Helpless and alone with the monster that she helped to create, all she could do was close her eyes and try not to feel anything as he doused her long black coat and notes with chemicals. Then standing over her in delight, he struck the match, dropped it and waited, as the blaze burned through both paper and flesh. She never screamed out or cried. There was no need. Selene was numb with sorrow. Everything went black.

As consciousness slowly returned to her, she found herself cradled in the arms of her son. A fleeting moment of sheer delight overcame her to see him there, but as quickly as it came, it was gone again, as she realized what had happened. Trying to reach up and touch her face, she moaned in discomfort, the burns made it difficult to move. Even the slightest movement caused the most excruciating pain, she wanted the numbness, the darkness back. The tears fell down from her eyes and damped Lizzie’s clothing. “All I wanted… was to help people… make life better for them…oh god, what have I done? Burnley… he… where is he?” Shoving her elbows down onto the floor, Selene tried to pull herself up, but a wave of agony overcame her and she dropped back down, defeated.

Reaching down, Thomas helped Selene up into a semi-sitting position, leaning against Lizzie and took off his jacket, handing to her and she wrapped it around Selene gently. “Don’t worry about any of that now, all you need to focus on is staying with us, and getting better. We still don’t know where Burnley is, but he hacked into the life support system to the base and has it on shut down. He’s already dropped the temperature and oxygen levels to a dangerous level in the matter of a minutes and if we don’t get out of here soon, I am afraid that this place will be a tomb for us.”

“What about Benjamin?” Lizzie asked, trying her best to keep her voice calm as not to make her any more upset than she already was. “Selene, do you know where Benjamin is? Thomas got a message from you saying that he was in danger.”

“He is with Burnley…” Selene whispered. “The stolen child.... the child of lies. We have to go to him, before it's too late. He will destroy everything. Stop him.”

“I know he did this to you.” Thomas said, his voice strong and confident. “He’s hurt a lot of our friends, and deserves to pay for what he has done to you, and to Dustin. But I can’t think about that right now. Selene, I’ve made a lot of bad decisions, but I am not going to let this be one of them. I would love to go out there right now and rip him apart, but you are more important to me than he is… you are my mother, and I am going to take care of you, just as I am going to take care of Lizzie and everyone else, because we are a family.”

Listening to Thomas’s words, Selene looked from him to Lizzie, and she turned a shade pale and she looked away for a moment. Taking a breath that rattled in her lungs, Selene began to cough. Lizzie held Selene’s feverish form tightly against hers, almost as if trying desperately to keep her broken body together with the force of her own will until it passed. As it finally ended, Selene leaned back against Lizzie, her lips stained red with blood. Both Lizzie and Thomas looked at each other in concern; Selene’s lungs had been damaged due to the fire. She desperately needed medical help quickly, or else she would die there in that awful place. “Alright that’s enough talk for now.” Thomas tossed Lizzie his communication device. “I need you to navigate us through here to Selene’s vehicle, while I carry her.”

Lizzie nodded and quickly gathered up the medical bag. As she straightened to stand up, a blinding pain shot through her body and she let out a small cry and remained hunched over. Thomas lifted Selene into his arms and looked to her in worry. It had been some hours since she had been removed from the FEC’s carnivore network, and had two episodes in a small period of time. Fearing that she would have one again, Thomas felt helpless and struggled not to let panic overtake him. Dealing with two injured women at once was not something that he was quite prepared for. Silently, he wondered about Brock and Dustin, left behind to find Benjamin and how they were doing. He wanted to help them, to be the one that brings back Ben and saves the day, but now he was starting to realize that playing the part of hero and being a hero are two totally separate things.

“I’m okay.” Lizzie smiled at him and slung the bag over her shoulder. “It’s just the stitches. Stop worrying!” Turning on her foot, she headed for the door and stepped outside into the hall beyond, looking right and left, as if searching for something. Thomas came up behind her carrying Selene. “Thomas?”

“What is it?” he asked. “Are you okay with navigating?”

“Oh yeah that’s not it, I was wondering… where is your laser rifle?” Lizzie asked, keeping her eyes focused on the end of the empty corridor.

Raising an eyebrow at her curious question, he gestured toward his left hip. “It’s right here, why do you…”

Before he could finish the sentence, Lizzie reached out and pulled the weapon from the holster, and slipped it into the medical bag. “I am not taking any chances.” She said and then turned on the tracking device, letting the signal from the vehicle illuminate the screen. “Let’s go.” Without another word, she turned left and started to travel down the long path that they had taken to get there with Thomas and Selene following a safe distance behind.

As the group walked, Selene had fallen unconscious again, her arms wrapped around his neck, holding on tightly and her body suspended by his strong arms. Thomas was grateful that she was not awake while they walked, she had burns over 70% of her body and they looked painful to the touch, and the painkillers he had given her would only last a short time. The roads back to the Shallow Bay were bumpy and treacherous, and in her condition, he was afraid that Selene might not make it. Lizzie did not say a word as they walked, but instead kept focused on the beeping device attached to her wrist. Several times, Thomas would have to stop, to reposition Selene’s body and would try to talk to Lizzie, but she was strangely non-verbal now. Knowing that something was bothering her, he made it a point to get it out of her as soon as they returned home. He didn’t want things to start off this way; there would be no more secrets between them.

By the time that they had reached the doors that would lead them to the outer docks where Selene’s vehicle was hidden, the temperature was down to the freezing mark, and oxygen was at a dangerous level. Even the smallest amount of exertion made it difficult to breathe. Lizzie stopped at the huge bay doors that led outside to freedom and pointed to the keypad attached to it. “I don’t suppose we have the code for this?”

Thomas shook his head. “I don’t think so. Selene might, but she’s unconscious at the moment.”

“We can just destroy the lock.” Lizzie said, pulling the laser rifle out from her bag and arming it.

“If we do that, the alarm will sound, and Burnley will know exactly where we are.” Thomas said. He looked down at Selene, her skin warm and feverish to the touch. Her face, neck and arms were all badly burnt from the fire, more than likely she would be scarred for the rest of her life. “Fuck it. Blast that thing and let’s get out of here.”

Lizzie took hold of the weapon, aiming at the glowing keypad and pulled the trigger, letting loose an intense bolt of electricity which short circuited the lock. Within seconds, the doors separated and pulled open, revealing the early morning rays of light from the Prox desert, and Selene’s armored vehicle beyond. They could almost taste the freedom. Stepping outside, Lizzie let the bright amber rays of sunlight cascade over her chilled body. It felt like she had been trapped in a frozen corpse shell for a very long time and was now finally broken free. It was odd not seeing any guards or Carnivores around; everyone had long since fled, or been killed by Burnley, but they were grateful for the reprieve.

Thomas joined Lizzie outside, walking to the vehicle and gently placed Selene down on the backseat, making sure that she could be as comfortable as possible. Closing the door behind him, he looked to Lizzie who had her back turned toward him and was facing the building looking forlorn. Thomas came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong love?”

A small gust of wind came up and scattered a few bits of dust around them. Lizzie lowered her head a bit. “I tried to send a signal to Brock, but it’s not going though. I think that Burnley disabled any form of communication as well as the life support. They have no way of knowing what is going on.” She looked back at Selene, her chest was rising and falling with small, shallow breaths. She knew that it was only a matter of time now before the trauma caught up with her and she would start to go into shock. And that meant that if she were to live, they would have to go now, and leave the others behind. Sadness filled her heart. “We were supposed to wait for them. They are all still in there. Dustin, Brock, Ben.”

“I know love, but we have to leave now, or else Selene isn’t going to make it.” Thomas brought his cheek next to hers and held her tightly. “This is one of those decisions that is almost impossible to get right.”

“What do we do?” she asked. “Is one life more important to save than three?” Forming her hands into fists she clenched them tightly at her sides. She stood in front of the massive building, feeling so small and insignificant.

Instead of answering her, Thomas took hold of her hand and pulled her back towards the vehicle, opening the door for her. Lizzie’s shoulders slumped as she hopped in and slid across the seat. She knew what had to be done, but doing the right thing was breaking her heart. All the men in there were part of her life now and she didn’t want to let them go. Looking over at Thomas, who was climbing into the driver’s seat, she realized that the things that had happened had turned him into a good person, and that they would be family now for the rest of their days. Looking down at the ring on her finger, she came to terms with the fact that fate had given her exactly what she wanted, Thomas. She had fallen in love with him from the first day that they met, which was all because of Brock. Brock had been the one to send her to the Messengers for information, and Thomas was the one who found her out in the desert. A image flashed across her mind for a moment, half wishful thinking, the other half daydreaming of Brock standing at Thomas’s side during her wedding, proud and happy as his best man. It was something that could never be now. Brock as well as Dustin and Benjamin would be lost forever. “What do you think will become of Burnley?” She asked as Thomas started the engine and put the vehicle in drive.

“I honestly don’t know. I hope that the others find a way to take care of him; he deserves to be punished for what he’s done to Selene and Dustin… I just hope that Ben is the one to do it. Burnley is twisted and totally depraved, but he’s still his son. Flesh and blood. He should be made to answer for his sins by the one who brought him into this world.” He answered. Lizzie noticed that he still had his foot on the break and had not pulled away from the base yet.

“He didn’t bring Burnley…..here….” Selene whimpered from the recesses of the back seat.

Lizzie immediately turned around and tried her best to comfort Selene. “It’s alright, he’s not here. We’re going home; try not to think about it.” Reaching out, she stroked a part of Selene’s hand that was not touched by the fire.

Selene immediately withdrew and slipped down into the folds of Thomas’s coat. “He’s the stolen child…. I stole him away; we need to bring him home.”

“I don’t understand, what are you talking about? Why do you keep calling him that?” Lizzie asked curiously.

“He’s not bad. You can’t leave him behind, there is still good inside of him. He’s just a child. He loves playing in the puddles when it rains.” Selene sighed.

Thomas shook his head. “Lizzie, don’t listen to this nonsense. She’s delusional. It’s the fever. You’re a nurse, you know what happens to people when they go into shock, they start to hallucinate and imagine things. That’s exactly what is happening here, and if we don’t get her help, she isn’t going to make it. We have to go.” Gripping hold of the steering wheel, he prepared to pull away, when he felt Lizzie’s hand on his arm.

“Wait, please. Just give her a moment.” She asked. Thomas stopped, looking at Lizzie with a mixture of annoyance and apprehension, but he did as she asked and waited. Leaning back against the seat, she gave Selene a comforting glance. “Selene, I don’t understand.. Why do we have to go back for Burnley? He’s done some terrible things. Why is he the stolen child?”

“I was the one who stole him away from his world, his home. He was just a child then. They messed him up, inside his head…made him into a monster… but he’s not broken…I can fix him, make him whole again.”

Thomas didn’t turn around to look at Selene, but instead kept his eyes focused on the road that stretched out before him, the one that would lead them all home. He wanted to take his foot off the brake and just drive off, but something inside of him made him stay. “This is crazy. He’s a homicidal lunatic, running around in there, murdering anything that moves. He is hell bent on having revenge on Benjamin and he’s going to destroy everything that he can to get to him. This isn’t the way a sane person thinks. We were lucky to get out when we did. There’s something wrong with his brain, something that even you can’t fix, Selene, so don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Selene ignored Thomas’s comments. “Think about it…Lizzie, you felt the rage, the anger inside of you when you were a Carnivore; you know what it feels like to have that burning desire to kill inside of you. Thomas, you too have been infected with the FEC’s influence by using a broken visor; you’ve been linked to their terrible database being force fed all their lies and corruption. Yet, here you both are… what brought you here? It was someone believing in you, trusting that you can be better again. Don’t let this chance fall away.” Selene looked to Lizzie with desperate, searching eyes. “Please, go back for him. I got one boy returned; don’t make me leave the other one behind.”

Running his hands over his face, Thomas let out a audible sigh of discontentment. “He murdered countless people, raped and beat Dustin almost to the point of death, and set all your research and you on fire and you want me to go in there and bring him back? It’s not like I can recite him a story from a book and snap him out of it, he’s been this way for years. He’s a sadistic, cruel bastard that doesn’t deserve to live.” Thomas stopped for a moment, and let go of the steering wheel. “You don’t know what you’re asking me to do, mother.”

Lizzie cringed. Thomas had not once called Selene ‘Mother’ before and now she hated the way that he said it. It sent chills down her spine. She glanced down at Selene who had closed her eyes, to force herself to stop crying, the salty tears only searing and stinging her burnt skin. Looking away from the woman in the back seat for a moment, Lizzie turned her attention to her husband to be. “Thomas…The pain that he’s caused us all hurts, we all know this... Trying to forget about it hurts too. But not knowing which decision to take can sometimes be the most painful. Maybe she’s right, maybe deep inside of him is that innocent little boy who had lost his father and was taken away from his mother.” She lowered her voice. “He never had the chance at having a family, and never will.”

The sound of the engine idling around them went on without interruption, as the bright morning sunlight started to rise over the wasteland as far as the eye could see. Selene’s voice dropped very low, almost to a whisper and sang the lines of a lullaby. “Come away, O human child, to the waters and the wild, with a faery hand in hand. For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.” As the last word left her lips, she fell silent once again; her eyes closed and she slipped into the blissful unawareness of unconsciousness.

“Story books again, god damn it.” Thomas swore as he pushed the door open and hopped outside the vehicle, his boots kicking up small particles of dust and dirt around him. Slamming it shut before Lizzie could follow him, he looked towards the massive building in front of him, the FEC base where he was so desperate to escape from. The realization hit him that he had to return there and it made him feel a little sick. Lizzie slid over to the driver’s side and watched him with interest. She placed her left hand on the edge of the window and he turned around put his over it. “I don’t know what I am doing.” Thomas said in a half joking, half serious tone. It was clear that his decision bad been made, but part of him was still unsure, desperately wanting to run away with Lizzie and forget any of this was happening.

Giving him a smile, Lizzie leaned out the window and kissed him. “Whatever it is, it is the right thing. She will be proud of you.” The wind blew her black hair around her face, and she winced a bit, having almost forgotten about the stitches, but did not let it take away that smile. “Go and bring him home to us, bring them all home and be the hero you were born to be, Thomas Bell. I have faith in you.”

Resting his forehead against hers for a moment, Thomas closed his eyes and held onto her hand tightly. “Home isn’t a place for me, Lizzie… it’s a person.” Slowly, he released her and at the last moment she took hold of his hand, placing a tiny silver key in it.

“I never needed this.” She said softly. “You have always been the key to my heart.”

Feeling his heart aching, Thomas unwillingly took the trinket from her and slipped it into his pocket. It felt like a huge weight bearing down on him. In the back of the vehicle, Selene let out a pained moan and it was very apparent that they had to leave. Lizzie gave Thomas one last smile, and he kept his hand on hers until the very last moment as she drove off down the dusty path to the Shallow Bay that would take over a day to reach. He remembered all the sadness and frustration from the last several months, every bit of pain and fear that he had built up inside of him and let it go. There was so much ahead of him that he would have to face now, and he swore to himself that he would face it all with a clean slate, a fresh start. No longer would he allow the past to drag him down, because now for the first time in his life, he truly had something worth living for; a reason to believe, and that was Lizzie. He watched her until the very last moment when the vehicle was nothing more than a small dot on the horizon. He didn’t feel cold and lost anymore; he knew exactly where he was and what he was doing, and for the first time in his life, he felt good. 

With the taste of Dustin still on his lips, Brock slammed the door shut behind him. It rattled the frame and made a loud sound that broke the awkwardly still silence. He took a step outside into the corridor, feeling as though he was on the edge of a breakdown. An intense blast of cold hit him in the chest and he immediately began to shiver. Pulling his jacket tight around his thin frame, he turned around and placed his fingertips on the cold metal that separated him from Dustin. Everything he wanted from life was in the room behind him, a lifetime of regret and remorse, of dreams, desire and hopes all being just inches away, but yet so far. He didn’t know how to be a whole person without Dustin, everything he had done that was worthwhile in life had been because of that man. When others turned away from him, and he retreated into his music, leaving the world behind, Dustin was the one who brought him out of his solitude and asked him to be a part of something new. As time passed, the friendship that Brock felt for him started to turn into something else, and he had tried for so long to hide it, deny those feelings, but he just couldn’t. Only when Dustin fell in love with Ben did Brock have enough courage to speak those words out loud, and make his confession. Like everything else in his life, it was too little and too late. Dustin’s heart had already been won over, leaving Brock to feel nothing, except for a stinging pain of loss. He vowed that he would never let these feelings fester inside of him and turn to hatred, he cared far too much for Dustin to let that happen, choosing instead to keep the emotions inside of him, like a candle burning bright and never going out, fueling his soul with nothing, except for love for the man that could never fully be his. Benjamin held a little part of Dustin’s soul, and the few times that Brock had been with Dustin, he could always feel that missing piece there, and Dustin was unable to completely give himself over to Brock’s love, because he wasn’t a whole person himself. Benjamin would hold onto that missing piece forever. Dustin wanted Ben, and not Brock. Dustin made his decision. It was as simple as that.

Resisting the urge to storm back in the room and make one final attempt to bring Dustin to his senses, Brock turned away from the door and let out a sigh. He had to let him go now; he had to walk away and go find Benjamin. Brock knew that if they made it out of the FEC base alive, there would be no place for him in the Shallow Bay. He’d bring Ben to Dustin, just as promised and they could have their happy ending, but there wouldn’t be any for him. Brock never broke a promise to anyone in his entire life. Only now, the promise that he would love Dustin forever felt more like a curse.

The temperature had dropped severely in the base and he could see his breath crystallize in the air in front of him. Something was wrong. Punching in a few buttons, Brock sent a message to Thomas and waited patiently for a response. He leaned back against the door, the idea of going back in and forcing Dustin to come with him incredibly tempting. His choice was made, however, and Brock needed to learn to respect it. Anxious and upset, he sent another message to Thomas, urgently requesting a status update. There was no response. Feeling more than a little annoyed with the situation, Brock decided the best thing he could do was head out and do what he was sent out to do, find Selene and Benjamin. Bringing up the facility map, he wiped away the moisture from his eyes and started to follow it to Selene’s coordinates, determined to bring Ben back as fast as he could so that they could all escape together.

Twenty minutes passed as he made his way down the twisting hallways and corridors that made up the FEC base. Brock casually stepped past the twisted and broken bodies of the Carnivores that lined the floor, all brutally slaughtered and ripped apart in the most sadistic way. The air had started to grow thick and heavy, and he had to stop to catch his breath several times. Pausing to look at a nearby status monitor for the facility, Brock’s eyes widened as he read the report. A blinking red line of text displayed the words: SYSTEM LIFE SUPPORT OVERRIDE. FACILITY STASIS MODE INITATED. ONE HOUR UNTIL TOTAL SHUTDOWN. 

“Holy shit!” Brock cursed and started immediately typing a message to Thomas. They needed to evacuate as soon as possible, or else die in a frozen tomb. As soon as his fingers hit the first button, he noticed several error messages on the device. They were from the previous messages he had sent to Thomas. In a panic, he then tried to call Dustin. Nothing. All radio signals had been cut off along with the life support; there was no way of contacting the others. Feeling panic start to set in, Brock considered going back and getting Dustin, he was alone and completely oblivious to the danger now that was imminent. He couldn’t leave him alone in that room like that, he was in extreme danger. Cursing to himself for not thinking clearly, Brock started to head back and had only made it a few feet when he stopped, remembering the look in Dustin’s eyes as he kissed him in the Infirmary. He had said so much to him, without even saying a single word. Dustin’s kiss was not one of love or affection, but more of a final goodbye, a way to let Brock know that he was no longer needed or wanted. The feeling of that kiss, those lips, would forever be burnt in his memory. Lowering his head, he turned back around and walked away, he couldn’t go back there, not without Benjamin. Dustin was so in love with Ben, that he would sacrifice Brock’s own life to get him back, and the thought of this made him sick, but he swore to Dustin he would bring him back, and he never broke a single promise in his entire life.

Changing course, Brock knew that he wouldn’t have enough time to rescue Ben and make it back safely before the life support system shut down, so without a second thought, he decided to head for the main control room and see if he could get it back online and running, giving him time to accomplish what he was set out to do. This way, he could also restore communication and contact both Dustin and Thomas to inform them of what was going on. It was the best course of action that he could think of in the limited amount of time that he had left. If he failed, then no matter what happens, they would all be dead anyway. He had to keep his mind clear, his head straight; there were people depending on him now.

By the time he reached the door to the control room, Brock was exhausted from all the physical exertion due to depleting oxygen levels and was shivering uncontrollably as his body struggled to keep warm. Trying his best to keep his mind focused, he went to the keypad for the door and started inputting a series of numbers that he remembered from the key codes that he had entered previously, hoping that one of them would work. His fingers danced over the numbers one at a time, numb and frostbitten from the intense cold, but intent upon the task at hand. One by one, each time he hit the enter button, it refused to unlock and continued to flash red. Backwards, forwards, out of sequence, in sequence every combination that he tried to enter failed. The string of numbers ran through his head, he could visualize each code that the FEC had used before, but none of them were the right one. Frustrated, he threw his messenger bag down onto the floor, and went over the list again and again, and every single time he was met with the same outcome. Locked. The minutes were ticking away, and all of his friends were going to die because of his failure. “Ah fuck! I can’t do this!!!” he shouted.

“You wouldn’t understand, Brock.” He heard Dustin’s voice in his head, a fleeting memory from a long time ago. “It’s the way he looked at me the first time that we met, when we were alone in that hotel room and he came to me. I saw something in those gray-green eyes of his that took me like a storm, swept me out to sea and left me drowning there. There was so much pain and suffering in those eyes; more than a lifetime of being alone and so desperate to find someone, anyone to connect to. I gave him more than my soul that day; I gave him my heart too. All of it.”

Feeling the anger inside of him, intensified by the memories he had wished stayed buried, Brock clenched his hand into a fist and smashed it into the glowing panel. An intense shock of pain shot down his wrist and up into his arm as the glass plate shattered into pieces that clattered down to the floor. “And what about me?” Brock asked into the emptiness. His head wanting an answer, but his heart refusing to listen. “I get it… you love Benjamin… but the things I feel for you are just as strong as your love for him too. If you love someone, and keep loving them, without being loved back then that love has to be real. It hurts too much to be anything else. It’s not a made up thing inside your head. Why can’t you see how much you’re hurting me, Dustin? Please take this pain away and let me love you.” Brock begged, his voice broken and shattered as much as his heart.

Pulling his arm back, he punched the panel a second time, the wires and electrical conduits snapped and buzzed with live electricity loudly in the otherwise quiet hall. He clenched his teeth in rage as warm tears ran down his cheeks. “I am sorry Brock.” Dustin’s voice answered him. “I don’t want to do this to you. The pain that you are feeling, you only bring upon yourself. Deep inside you know that it would be impossible for us to be together. There is more than just friendship between us, but I am not quite sure what it is, but I do know that it’s not the love that you are seeking. You deserve someone who can give their entire heart to you, and that person isn’t me… you are truly an angel, Brock, one that belongs in heaven and I don’t want you falling for me. I pray that you will find the strength to understand.”

With bruised knuckles, Brock flung his fist into the panel for a third time, sending a splatter of blood flying over the wall as the shards of glass sliced into the flesh of his hand. “GOD DAMN YOU DUSTIN!” he shouted in rage and anger and hit the panel one last time, feeling an intense agony as the bones in his hand snapped, and a black puff of smoke started to billow out of the keypad as it finally shorted out and the door unlocked. Letting out a loud scream, Brock sank down to the floor, cradling his broken hand and wrist against his chest and started to sob. “You asked me to understand.” He whispered into the silent corridor. “And the most ironic thing of it all is that I do understand you, Dustin, I always did but I don’t think you ever really understood ME… all the love I had in the world went to you.”

Resting his head against the wall, Brock pressed his eyes closed very tightly, so that he could see spots of light in front of them. He wished that these could be the stars from Earth, all shining brilliantly and whispering at the hint of the oncoming dawn, bringing with it a new day, filled with a fresh start. He would get out of bed and have a bowl of cereal on the couch watching TV with Ron, while Adam and Dustin argued in the kitchen about tour dates. Then they would all get together and go rehearse for a few hours; this was Brock’s favorite time of the day, when he could pick up his guitar and just let his emotions flow through him and out into the music. Dustin would match the melody with his voice, singing with such a powerful force that it was completely overwhelming and inspiring to watch. It was moments like this that Brock lived for, when the four of them could all be on stage at the same time, sharing the same dream, spreading the Message and just living in the moment, not another care in the world. Hours later, they would all go out for a late dinner and get some drinks. The alcohol always lightened things up, and Brock was able to get a little closer to Dustin, enjoying a casual touch as they meandered back to the house. Even the smallest moments shared between the two of them meant so much to him, and he wished that Dustin felt the same way, but Brock always remained silent, ending the day by heading to bed alone, his head filled with thoughts about the man that he loved and so desperately wanted to be with.

Opening his eyes, Brock watched as the blood dripped off his knuckles and splashed onto the floor, creating wide puddles of crimson on the stark white tile. There was already a random pattern of purple and black bruising spreading over the top of his hand, as the pain pulsed through it. He didn’t care. The pain gave him something to focus on, something real that he could feel and center himself with, because that’s all he had left… an intense, deep pain that comforted him like an old friend.

The sound of soft footsteps behind him made Brock’s head snap up, and looking behind him, he spotted someone coming out of the control room. Darkness surrounded the figure, as he slowly descended the stairs and stepped into the light. There standing in the freezing cold corridor was Burnley.

Glancing over to his messenger bag which he had thrown across the hall, Brock made a quick dive for it, pulling it open as fast as he could. Frantically he searched around inside and found the laser rifle he had tucked away inside and slipped it out, aiming for Burnley’s head. Burnley was faster than Brock, and moved across the corridor with a unimaginable speed, plucking the weapon from Brock’s hand with incredible ease and then kicked the messenger bag away from him, scattering the contents. Brock was on his feet in moments, turning to sprint down the hall in an attempt to get away from Burnley, but he was no match for him. Burnley was on him in seconds, lunging forward with his powerful arms and tackling the small Brock down to the cold floor. Kicking and punching, he tried his best to free himself , but Burnley was much larger and stronger than Brock was, and soon Burnley had him by the throat and tossed him up against the wall, where he hid with a thud and came to rest back down on the floor where he had just been moments earlier. Stunned and out of breath, Brock sat there, motionless, waiting for Burnley to make his next move, but much to his surprise, he walked across the hall and squatted down across from him, leaning his back up against the wall and stared at him with interest.

“If you’re going to kill me, then just go ahead and do it.” Brock said to him.

Burnley frowned and rested his elbows on his knees, making him look like a predatory bird assessing its next victim. He was no longer bare-chested, but instead was wearing a simple black button down cotton shirt, with an embroidered patch which bore the logo of the Messengers on the sleeve. There were a few places where the black looked darker than normal, from where blood had dried on it. It took Brock a moment to realize that he was wearing the same shirt that Benjamin was wearing the last time he had seen him. “I am not going to kill you; after all…you were the one who clued the FEC in on how to acquire the Prox book, which revealed to them the path that brought me here in exchange for your position as Communications officer.” His voice was soft and smooth, like velvet, and when he spoke it was soothing, sending chills down Brock’s spine that wasn’t caused by the temperature drop. As the light down the hall flashed on and off due to the power fluctuations, he noticed the bright, sharp flecks of amber in Burnley’s deep gray-green eyes, and it truly frightened him. “Oh yes, I know a lot about you, Brock Richards.” He smiled.

Still cradling his injured hand, Brock leaned his head back against the wall. The cold stone tile felt comforting and reassured him that he was not trapped in some nightmarish dream with this sadistic man. “You’re more into torture, right?” Brock asked. “Am I to be punished for being a traitor then?” Brock took a deep breath. “You can do whatever you want to me, I won’t put up a fight or struggle. Dustin fought you, and I saw what happened to him… you completely destroyed him, broke more than his body, you crushed his spirit too, and I refuse to give you the satisfaction of doing that to me.”

“Is that what Bates told you? Well that’s only a half truth. It would seem that he’s keeping things from you… just like you are keeping things from him.” Burnley tilted his head to the side and looked at Brock in pity. “Don’t you think that after all you’ve been through, you deserve to know the truth? I would be more than happy to clarify a few things for you Brock, if you’d like. Don’t worry about being a traitor to the FEC, because I have much more claim on that title than you do.” He chuckled looking down at his bloodstained hands.

Ignoring his instincts to run away, Brock sat still and laughed, the motion of his body moving his wrist and making him cringe momentarily in pain. After it subsided, he took a breath. “What choice have I got?”

Pulling himself to his feet, Burnley stood up and walked over to Brock, coming to sit next to him. For the first time, Brock saw the uncanny resemblance the son had to his father; they were like mirror images to one another. The only difference, other than the age, was the way that they spoke. Benjamin’s voice was strong and deep, incredibly assertive and commanding. Burnley’s on the other hand was soft and gentle, barely above a whisper, almost seductive. “There is always a choice. You, above everyone else should know this, Brock. Life has too many shades of gray; we’re living in a monochromatic world where everyone thinks they can twist the rules, bend things in their favor, when in fact, it would be so much easier if it was black and white… wrong or right, him or you…”

Brock lifted his head slightly. “Everyone said that you are an insane lunatic, Burnley. Now I can clearly see why. You talk in riddles and make absolutely no sense at all. At least when Thomas went off his rocker he was able to form coherent thoughts.”

Laughing, Burnley waved his hand and smiled. Brock noticed how utterly open and honest that smile was, it was if he was holding nothing back. “I get ahead of myself, please let me start over. What I did to Bates, I did for a reason. You see, asking for things in life, never works, it’s useless. When they first brought me here, and did terrible things to me, I asked them, begged them to stop. I knew it wasn’t right, they knew it too, and yet it kept happening. My cries fell upon ears that were deafened to anything else but screams of pain. They thought this was the most grand thing ever—making a child cry out in desperation was exhilarating to them. I soon learned that if I wanted something, I was going to have to take it. I could manipulate and transform their sick desires into things that would benefit me, and in doing so, I revealed their weakness and exploited it. I took control from my captors and I vowed never to let anyone do that to me ever again. I hated him… my father… for abandoning me, and these feelings were something that has plagued me for my entire life, so I vowed that I would find a way to stop them completely, the entire reason for my existence would be to find a way to show him exactly how deep this anger and hatred runs deep inside of me. I would do whatever it took to get what I wanted, which was reprieve from the shadow of my fucking father.”

“So you tortured and raped Dustin to piss off Benjamin?” Brock asked. “That’s really fucked up. The things that you did to him, he’s clearly not going to ever get over them, you just used him as a pawn against your father and now his life is completely ruined. ” He shook his head as a wave of sadness momentarily washed over him. “He loves Ben so much, but is completely unable to face him now. Dustin is willing to give up his happiness and be miserable being around a man that he can’t even look at. All because of you, Burnley. You did more than just ‘break’ him, you murdered him.”

“Deeply regretful that is, but let me share this with you. Yes, I tortured, drugged and beat Bates down to the point where he was utterly defeated and ready to die. I will gleefully admit that, but the part you don’t know, Brock… the fact that he has not revealed to you or anyone else is that it wasn’t rape.” Burnley’s voice dropped and he moved closer. Brock could feel the heat from his skin and hear the subtle shift in the fabric of his clothing as he moved. “I asked Bates what he was thinking about, as I removed the last bits of his clothing and took his dignity with it. I wanted him exposed, body and soul to see what lies beneath, because men are so good at hiding their true feelings. Do you know what his answer was?”

Brock remained silent, his eyes transfixed, staring at the dried droplets of blood on Burnley’s boots and wondered who it belonged to. 

The corner of Burnley’s mouth twitched as he spoke. “He said that he was thinking about Benjamin.” Hearing the words, Brock closed his eyes and shuddered, as Burnley continued. “Even though I hate my father so much, I gave Bates exactly what he wanted. I made him feel the same way that he felt on the first night they were together. It wasn’t very difficult. All I had to do was slide my fingers down, follow the lines of his body as they curved inward, finding just the right place to touch, caress, that would allow his body to betray his mind. He could pretend that it wasn’t me who was touching him, but the man he lusted after, the one he wanted so badly above anything else, including you.” As he spoke, Brock was aware that Burnley had placed a hand on his thigh; his touch light and almost delicate. “It wasn’t long before he was begging to feel that familiar ecstasy of having those strong arms wrapped around him, fingers pressed into his hips, bodies moving together, grinding against one another in a perfect harmony. I will tell you this, Brock… every single moment, Bates never once thought of you. Even when his cock was in my hand and I was stroking him and feeling him shudder against me about to bring him to the height of pleasure, he was biting his lip forcing himself not to call out Benjamin’s name. I must say that I have never felt a man cum so hard, it was like he had never truly allowed himself to be free of all his inhibitions at once and let someone take control. I wanted him to feel the guilt and shame for what he had done, betraying his own ideals… and betraying you as well, Brock. So I licked every drop of that guilt off my fingers and kissed him with lips wet with it. He needed to taste what disloyalty tasted like. There are ways he could have stopped it from happening, but he didn’t, and the reason is because being with me was cathartic for him. Letting me shove my cock deep inside of him reminded him of Benjamin, and he is so desperate to be with him that he would allow something like this to happen just to have that experience again. There is your reason why Bates is so broken. He will never be whole again, and I exposed his lie to the entire world now. He will never hurt you, or anyone else again.”

Opening his eyes, Brock looked down to see Burnley’s hand on his leg and dully noticed how strong and yet delicate it was. He made no effort to remove it. “He can’t face Ben now because he feels guilty for being with you.” Brock could feel his chest tighten up. “You’re right…It was never about me, because he never loved me the same way he loved Benjamin. He would bring down the stars and moon if Ben wanted it.. He led me on thinking that I had a chance with him…. I was nothing more than a substitute, a temporary patch for that endless hole in his heart that Ben dug out and created for himself to live in. God… how could I have been so naive?”

“Love does that to people, Brock. That’s why it’s a useless emotion. One to toss away into a dark place and leave it there, forgotten for eternity. You’re better off without it.” Burnley turned slightly, reaching up, his fingers stretched and pulled at the edge of the collar on Brock’s jacket, moving it down so that just a bit of flesh was exposed. He leaned in and brought his lips close to his throat. Brock immediately tensed up and felt his heart start to beat furiously in the freezing cold. He could feel the warmth of Burnley’s breath on the exposed flesh as he spoke. “But even with this knowledge, you still love him. This is the fact you will wake up to each morning and go to bed with every single night. You will find yourself checking it sometimes, like a tongue probing an aching tooth, making sure it’s still there, throbbing painfully.” Brock bit his lower lip as Burnley’s lips grazed across his neck, kissing it and making him tremble. “Unless you do something about it.” Brock waited, his entire body on fire, tense and tight, waiting for Burnley to do something terrible to him.

Burnley rose to his feet, slipping away and walked back across the hall to the entry way to the control room, leaving Brock alone. His mind reeled from everything that just happened. He felt confused and saddened, completely devastated by everything that Burnley had just said. He wanted to believe that it was all a lie, something that Burnley was doing to manipulate him, taking advantage of his weakness and exploiting it, but he knew the truth. Dustin’s last kiss said it all. He made his choice and caused Brock to be left completely alone. It was something even crueler than the atrocious acts that Burnley had committed. Burnley at least spoke the truth and was up front, open and honest about it all. Looking down the hall at his scattered messenger bag, he spotted the laser rifle that lay a few feet away and slowly pulled himself to his feet. Off in the distance, the fluorescent lights flickered on and off, giving everything a ominous eerie glow. Slowly he walked over to the weapon and knelt down in front of it. The pain in his broken hand was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. Burnley said that he had to do something about it, and now he knew exactly what to do. Even with the injury, he would be able to fire the weapon easily, and it would be quick and painless. He would remove himself from Dustin’s life, so that he and Ben could have the life that they always wanted. Ben’s memories were gone, but Brock was certain that with the love Dustin had for him, the emotions which ran so deep, it wouldn’t take long before they would be together again. It was an irresistible attraction to one another that was impossible to deny. A truly hopeless love.

Pushing the power button on the gun, it quickly lit up and started humming with electricity. Brock turned the voltage dial all the way up, each click echoing loudly in the empty hall around him, until it was set at maximum. A blast a point blank range to the head would instantly disrupt and destroy the brain, taking away all the pain in one quick blinding flash. Trying not to think about Dustin, for a moment, Brock said a silent prayer for Thomas and Lizzie. By now, they would have made it to Selene’s vehicle and out of the base, which would be on complete lock down and stasis mode in a matter of minutes. He hoped that Thomas would give up after some time and take Lizzie back to the Shallow Bay. He was fairly certain that he would, even though he did mean well, Thomas always had a strong sense of self-preservation and now that he had Lizzie to take care of, it would only grow and turn him into the leader that he always wanted to be. Brock’s only regret is that he wouldn’t be able to see Lizzie one last time, to tell her just how proud of her that he was. She had grown so much from the meek charge nurse from the Messengers to a strong, willful woman, ready to stand up for what she believed in. He never had a sister before, and for a short time, it felt good being part of a family for a while.

On his knees, Brock tried his best to stop his hand from shaking as his finger slipped onto the trigger and he placed the barrel under his chin, pointing upwards to the top of his skull. Through tear filled eyes, he took one last look down the hall, and then closed his eyes. There would be one bright flash of light and it would be all over. His story would end, the chapter complete. Who would care if one more light went out in a sky of a million stars? Who would care that if his time had run out? No one.

Drawing in his last breath, he held it in his lungs and started to apply pressure to the trigger when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and another pulling the weapon away. Opening his eyes, he saw Burnley kneeling down next to him, taking the rifle out of his numb fingers and tossing it away. He reached out and grabbed Brock’s thin frame and drew him into an embrace, as Brock broke down and started to cry. Running his fingers through his hair, Burnley whispered to him in a comforting tone. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Your life is too precious to waste.” Brock let his body rest against Burnley’s strong frame for long moments, trying to ignore the scent of death that hung in the air around him. Trapped in the muscular embrace of his arms, Brock made no attempt at trying to escape; having his neck snapped by this madman would be preferable to dying of a broken heart. There was a strange unfamiliar feeling of exhilaration that started to spread through his body, being this close to the enemy; it frightened Brock and intrigued him at the same time. “Let me show you something.” Burnley whispered, his voice low and husky against his ear.

He stood up, and helped Brock to his feet, being unusually cautious and gentle with him. Slowly, he walked over to the doors to the control room as Brock watched him through red-rimmed tear filled eyes. Pushing the doors open, he motioned for him to come closer. With small steps and moving as if he were in a drugged haze of numbness, Brock joined him and crudely wiped away the tears from his eyes. Everything felt like a dream. He felt so small and worthless and wanted to go home. Was there even a home for him anymore? Burnley stepped inside and waited for Brock to follow. He hesitated only for a moment, pausing to look down the hall and see the scattered contents of his messenger bag littering the hallway. None of that mattered now; they were nothing more than remnants of a wasted life. Taking a deep breath, he joined Burnley at his side and stood close to him. Burnley smiled, and together they ascended the stairs and into the darkness.

The silence that hung in the air of Prox was suddenly shattered with the droning sound of a bell being rung. It echoed over the vast desert plains and the rock filled canyons, into the long since dried up river beds. Lizzie immediately slammed her foot on the break, bringing the vehicle to a sliding stop. Hearing this unfamiliar sound, she jumped out, throwing the door open and looked off to the empty horizon. There was nothing there but dirt and dust for miles. She wrapped her arms around herself and waited.

 

In the back seat, Selene struggled to open her eyes. A slight smile came across her scorched lips for a moment, then as quickly as it came, it faded and she slipped back to unconsciousness. 

 

Thomas stood on the massive docks of the FEC facility, the bright mid-day sun blinding him, as he looked off into the distance. Hearing the droning sound of the bell ringing, a chill ran down his spine and he clutched the silver key tightly in his hand. He refused to be afraid. 

 

Deep inside the base, Dustin Bates grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. The emptiness that he was feeling inside was incredibly cold, like icy fingers wrapping around his heart. Clutching the thin material of the blanket, he looked to the door that was tightly closed in front of him. It had been slammed shut in more ways than one. There was no going back now; he knew that he had to see this through to the end. The story wasn’t complete, not yet. Sighing to himself, he sunk deeply into the folds of the blanket just as the bell started to ring. A slight cry escaped his lips, he knew what this was… it was a death bell, only to be rung to herald the death of someone of importance. Placing his hands over his ears, he closed his eyes and tried his best to pretend he wasn’t hearing it.

 

This chapter is dedicated to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.  
“Life is much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.”  
If you or anyone you know suffers from suicidal thoughts, help is only a phone call away. Don’t be afraid, there is always a better way.  
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Phone Number  
1-800-273-8255

**Author's Note:**

> There are a lot of music references in this chapter, and while I was writing it, I used music to greatly inspire me, and help convey the way that the characters were feeling, especially Brock. Being cast aside by Dustin is the worst thing that he could ever imagine, and at the end of his rope, he feels as though he has nothing left to hold onto anymore. 
> 
> That being said there are three songs that I would highly recommend listening to after reading this chapter.   
> One More Light by Linkin Park  
> Iridescent by Linkin Park   
> Through the Ghost by Shinedown.
> 
> In addition, the ending of this chapter was also inspired by a song off the Division Bell album by Pink Floyd, called "High Hopes" you can watch the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jMlFXouPk8 I feel as though the ringing sound of the mysterious bell on the horizon would be utterly terrifying as each character hears it. It is signaling the end of something, either a physical or spiritual death. Which will be revealed in the next chapter.


End file.
